Dante's Inferno
by QueenoSpades
Summary: The members of Alchemist, one of Amestris' many military branches, spend their nights keeping the peace among werewolves and vampires, combating the shadows of the night. But when of their own goes missing, how far will Ed go to get him back? Roy/Ed
1. Entering the Gate

Disclaimer: I am sorry to inform you that none of the Fullmetal Alchemist characters belong too me. Sigh....I only get to play with them every now and then. So if you are thinking about suing, I will gladly give you the dollar in my pocket to make you go away. Also I don't own Dante's Divine Comedy.

**Chapter 1: Entering the Gate**

_Through me the way into the suffering city,_

_Through me the way to the eternal pain,_

_Through me the way that runs among the lost._

_Justice urged on my high artificer;_

_My maker was divine authority,_

_The highest wisdom, and the primal love._

_Before me nothing but eternal things were made,_

_And I endure eternally._

_Abandon every hope, ye who enter here._

_~ Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri_

_

* * *

_

It was a night of almost complete darkness. A man, clad only in black, leaned against a grimy alley wall. His form intermingling with the shadows created by the soft light. It was a full moon, and he was listening. The streets of Central, his home now for over four years, were well known. The natural sounds of the night comforted him like a well worn blanket. In the quiet, it was the unnatural sounds that he was listening for.

His night of waiting was about to pay off. Out to the left, materializing in the opening of the passage, was a presence that defiantly wasn't supposed to be there. Especially not in his section. This was werewolf territory, no place for a lone vampire. The man shifted slightly, fully facing the new comer.

"What are you doing here?"

The newcomer chuckled, his deep voice rumbling in his chest, "You dare question me, mortal? That is not the way that you speak to your superiors, Ed."

Ed walked to the mouth of the alley. Speaking slowly and deliberately, he repeated himself. "What are you doing here? And I'd advise you not to make me repeat myself a third time."

The vampire took a step forward, looking down at Ed, "And what are you going to do about it little man?"

Ed flashed his teeth in a parody of a smile, seized the vampire's wrist, expertly ducked under the raised arm and pushed him up against the building, smiling in satisfaction as the vampire cried out. Crowding the captured vampire closer to the wall he breathed into the vamp's ear, "My, my, we do want to die tonight. State your business vampire, and if it is a good story, I'll only book you for a sector violation, rather than just killing you for pissing me off."

He tightened his hold on the vampire's arm and smashed his face into the wall again before releasing him. As he stepped back, the moon illuminated the golden hue of his hair, mimicking the flash of anger in his eyes.

With a sharp smile, he spoke again, "Oh and don't call me 'little.'"

The vampire quickly turned to face him, gently cradling his injured arm. As he stepped away from the wall hurriedly, his eyes darted back and forth. Ed had to suppress a smile. Having a metal arm had it's advantages when dealing with supernaturals like this.

"Hey kid…" Edward's eyes narrowed warningly. "…I mean…er…I'm just the messenger."

"Don't worry, I won't shoot the messenger," Ed said grimly. Humoring the vamp, He pulled out his gun, he placed it on the ground. "See? I'm putting my weapon down."

Taking a step back, he leaned against a nearby building, right across from the vamp. His movement masking the migration of his hand sliding down his side, fingers caressing a sharp metal object attached to his leg. Mistakenly, the vamp seemed to take confidence from this. He would not have long to realize his mistake.

"Well?" He asked impatiently, "I'm waiting. What is this message."

"Like I said, Dante wanted me to send you a message."

"And what could the Homunculus possibly want with me?"

"Dante told me to, 'Tell the little metal guy,' his words not mine, you understand, 'that his flame has just been snuffed out."

Golden eyes widened in shock as the vampire began shaking in silent laughter, which soon erupted into a full-blown laugh. Barely able to choke out, "Bye, bye little flame."

He wasn't laughing for long. The last thing that he saw was a pair of furious eyes, and the last thing he felt was a cool metal stake sliding effortlessly into his heart.

"Let's just be clear. I'm not killing you because of your message. I'm killing you because you pissed me off. Congratulation."

Ed didn't stay long enough to watch the vamp crumble back into the dust from which he was formed. Turning, he headed deeper into the city with only one thought on his mind.

Roy…

* * *

A/N: So yeah. This is the first story I have ever published on so please be kind to me. That being said, I welcome flames of all natures!


	2. First Circle: We all go to Limbo

Disclaimer: So yes, all the standard disclaimers apply. No I do not own, and I shall never own the characters from Fullmetal Alchemist or from Dante's Inferno. I know that you are all heart broken, but just deal wit it.

**Chapter 2: The First Circle —We All Go To Limbo**

"Down to the sightless world we now shall go

Proceed will I and thou come second so."

~ Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

* * *

Alchemist Headquarter hummed like a living animal, content. It was a relatively calm night. No full moon, so the werewolf population, if not exactly tamed, was calmer. The pixie infestation was cleared out the week before, and there shouldn't be anything arising from that sector for a few more weeks. There were no reports of a demon summoning, of will-of-the-wisp leading people to dubious locations or of ancient artifacts spontaneously possessing people and turning them into mindless slaves for the archbishop of the Catholic Church. Even the vampires had been strangely silent of late. And so, government lackeys sitting at rows of unadorned desk chatting amicably with their neighbor. All was tranquil at HQ.

That would last for approximately one more minute.

The sounds of a distant door slamming echoed faintly throughout the office. The clattering of black military issued boots marked the progress of the runner as he ran down the unadorned corridors, traveling deeper into the complex.

Make that 30 seconds. Ed was in a hurry.

When the doors of the office were thrown open, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye looked up with a frown. Her brown eyes efficiently searched to room for the disturbance and quickly located Ed as he plowed though three office assistances, one secretary carrying a mug of coffee, and one unfortunate trashcan sitting innocently in the middle of the walkway. Riza couldn't help but admire Edwards's grace and form. The ability to completely terrify a battalion of hardened Alchemist office employees within moments of entering a room was a much valued skill, and it was sorely lacking in the military academy's curriculum in her opinion. Glancing at his furious golden eyes, she mentally sighed. And it was going to be such a peaceful night too…

"Sir?" she began. She might as well start out polite.

"Where is he?"

"Your brother? He said—"

Her words were impatiently cut off, "I'm not talking about Al. Where is that Bastard Colonel?"

Riza frowned again. While Ed and Roy still managed to fight like they were still in primary school and experiencing their first crushes, there hadn't been this much genuine anger associated with the words "Bastard Colonel" since they had gotten together. If this is what their lover's spats were going to look like, she glanced briefly at the secretary gaping horrified at his ruined uniform, then this needed to be stopped before anymore chaos erupted. Drawing herself up to her full height, and looked sternly down at the young man before her.

"Edward, if this is going to be your behavior every time that you and the Colonel get into an argument, I have to insist that you leave you personal life at home."

"I'm not fighting with Roy," Ed growled out. "I just want to know where his sorry ass is."

"He went to inspect some security breach in Sector 9." She shrugged, "If you are so desperate to hear his voice, why don't you just call him?"

It was as if all of the life went out of Ed, and he began to sway slightly where he stood. "He's gone…He's really gone…." He muttered quietly.

"Well yes. But he only went to Sector 9, he should be back within the hour."

Ed shook his head. With a voice still dazed he said, "No…He's not coming back. Sector 9 is where the Homunculus Headquarters is located. He probably walked right into their trap, and they have him now."

Hawkeye took 1.5 seconds to pull out her gun and place it between Ed's vacant eyes, and then she took an additional 10 seconds to stare him down before she spoke.

"Fullmetal, I'm giving you 5 seconds to pull yourself together and explain. Or," she said lowering the gun to his right side, "I will be forced to shoot you, sir, and not in your metal leg."

Ed looked blankly in her direction for longer then she would have liked. And it wasn't until she cocked the gun did he shake off his stupor. Ed visibly composed himself before looking directly at the lieutenant.

"Right. At approximately 2200hrs, I was approached by a low level vamp that I've had a few run-ins with before. His name is unimportant as he will not be answering to it any longer."

"Killed him?"

Ed smirked, "You can't kill something that isn't technically alive."

Hawkeye's lips almost twitched in response, "Continue."

"The vampire informed me that Roy, or in their words, "Flame," had been captured by the Homunculus, and they weren't planning to return him alive. I'd hoped that he'd be here, but it looks like the information given to me was correct. Though I don't think they would have killed him right away. The Homunculus like to…play with their victims first."

"Right," Riza said while holstering her gun. "I'll relay this information to the General, and we'll take the team down to Section 9 to look for him. Go and collect the boys from the mess hall, and meet me out front."

Ed nodded, "And I'll swing by to get Al too, he might have more information on the vampires that could be of help."

* * *

Even before he opened his eyes, he knew he was in trouble. It wasn't as if anything was physically wrong, it was more a feeling that something in the quiet was…off. In fact, for being kidnapped by Central's vamperic version of the mob, he felt fine. A little annoyed at being knocked out. But fine.

That's how he knew he was screwed.

Opening his eyes, he waited for them to adjust to the dim light, and then began searching around the room. There was not much to note: a broken chair tossed in the corner, a door that he presumed to be locked, a boarded over window and a decrepit chandelier fraught with spider webs. It wasn't until he happened to glance up that he realized he was chained to the wall. In the next moment he realized that while he could see the chains attached to his hands, he could not feel them.

But that wasn't his immediate concern; he could contemplate why he couldn't feel any of his extremities later. Right now he had to deal with the female vampire standing in front of him. Roy gazed at her impassively.

"Hello Lust," He said.

And she smiled.

* * *

A/N So there's the second chapter, tell me what you think!


	3. Second Circle: Lair of the Lustful

Disclaimer: I'm not cool enough to own the characters or the plot of Fullmetal Alchemist or Dante's Inferno. Wish I was. Maybe I will in my next life.

**Chapter 3: The Second Circle —Lair of the Lustful  
**

"_In carnal vice she was do deeply dyed_

_She made lust lawful by her own command,_

_That so the blame she earned might be denied."_

~ Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

* * *

To Roy, she looked the same. Her inky black hair still flowing past deathly pale skin. The same slinky black dress, two sizes too small, straining to keep her body contained and decadently covered. Yes, she was perfectly preserved in time. When Roy had previously encountered her, he had come to the conclusion that she was a vicious undead harpy whose greatest pleasure was to listen to her own voice and had highly questionable fashion sense. He was not looking forward to this current meeting.

"What am I doing here?" He demanded.

She tisked in his direction and scolded him lightly, "You know why you're here."

And he did. It wasn't had to realize that his men were getting too close to unearthing something that the Homunculus did not want exposed, and now he was paying for it. The vampires rarely interfered with Alchemist; in truth they tended to ignore the humans that were silly enough to think that could impose rules on them. But when they did their message was clear. "Leave us alone, or we will destroy you." And the broken bodies they left behind were a very convincing argument. The military was forced to turn a blind eye to their organization for fear of starting a war between mortals and the supernatural. A war that they weren't sure they would be able to win. And so Alchemist had a strictly "hands-off" policy.

Lust smirked as she slinked forward, "Look at the little Alchemist, so far from home. What is the poor Colonel going to do now?"

Raising her hand to caress Roy's cheek, her ivory skin starkly stood out against the bronze tone of his face. Her smirk grew into a full smile as she flashed her fangs. Slowly trailing her fingers down his jaw, she left four deep scratches that began leaking blood. As she leaned forward to inhale the scent of the crimson liquid, Roy reminded himself not to flinch.

Sneering, she leaned back grabbing Roy's face forcing him to look her in the eye. "You show no fear. I'm impressed. But how long can you remain silent I wonder? What does it take to make you crack? Not pain," she said as she squeezed his face hard enough to send the blood trailing down his face. But then her voice gentled, and she whispered, "But what about passion?"

She leaned forward again and licked the line of blood that had made its way down Roy's neck, leaving his skin clean and glistening. As her tongue got to the open wounds on his cheek Roy shuddered, as the powerful aphrodisiac contained in the vamps saliva entered his system, making his body wish for more. This was the reason that so many of the vampires' victims sought them out. Just to get this one taste of bliss, or possibly more.

Roy strained away from her touch and snarled, "Keep away from me, you whore! Who knows where that tongue has been?"

Lust stepped back and hissed, "Careful mortal. Get to close to the fire, and you might get burned."

"I think I can stand the heat."

"Just because your code name is 'The Flame Alchemist' doesn't mean that you can handle a real fire when it comes for you."

"What can I say? I like to live dangerously."

"Fearless as well as cliché, what we have here is the quintessential hero. Mark my words hero," she stepped back from the cornel and looked at him through soulless back eyes, "Your bravery and courage will do you no good here. We _will_ break you, and when we do you'll realize that you are mortal, like every other human."

With a cloying smile, she patted Roy on the head, unconcerned about his heated glare, "You'll learn, little Alchemist, that even the strongest will can be easily crushed if you have enough time, and that's the beauty of being a vampire, we have all the time in the world."

She turned to walk out the door and as her body was silhouetted by the light in the hallway, she looked over her shoulder and spoke one last time.

"You should have joined us when you had the chance Roy. Now, it is far too late and your greatest purpose is for food, pleasure and entertainment."

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -~ - ~

Ed was going to kill Roy. But first he had to find him.

Why the older, and supposedly wiser, man thought that wandering alone through a hostile section was a good idea, Ed would never know. It was times like these that he fervently believed in the rules and regulations put forth by Alchemist requiring all agents to work with a partner when investigating in the field. And for the moment, conveniently forgetting his own dislike for military rules and his inability to follow them.

Ed felt like screaming, partly at Roy, but mostly at the other soldiers in the alley. There was nothing _here._ He could easily follow Roy's footsteps to the mouth of the alley, and then all traces of him vanished like he just up and flew away. Like he turned into some sort of bird or bat or _something_ and just escaped the taint to the city. Or maybe he was still up in the air laughing at how ineffective military could be. He could hear the rest of the team searching around him. Riza's sharp voice barking out orders, the soft mummers of Havoc, Fuery and Breda's off to his right, and the patter of the squad of soldiers as the methodically combed the alley.

Ed leaned against a nearby building and sighed. They were wasting _time._ He knew that they would find nothing here. The Homunculus had evaded Alchemist personnel long before he, and everyone else in the military, was born. They would not slip up now. It they wanted to find Roy, they need to stop being so predictable. Unfortunately, his superiors didn't seem to believe that. So here he was standing in a grimy alley as the city clock tolled midnight.

He rolled his eyes up to stare at the sky and watch the clouds pass before the moon, periodically placing Central in shadows. As he exhaled, he closed his eyes, listening to the night, and calming his mind.

"Hey." Ed felt a body settle next to him, "Are you doing okay, brother?'

Deciding that his companion was worth it, Ed tilted his head to the side and opened his eyes. "No, not really…But bashing in the heads of all those soldiers for being both inefficient and fucking stupid won't do anything. Though," Ed smiled wryly, "It might make me feel better." He looked back up at the sky, and crossed his arms. "We're not doing any good here and we have nothing to go on."

Al smiled, "But isn't that why you keep me around? I may just have a starting point for you." He held out a folded piece of paper. "You know I have been researching these guys for months, here are a few likely locations and contacts."

Taking the offered paper, Ed opened it. As read it over, he began to smirk, a plan already forming in his mind. Yes, Al had given him an excellent place to start. Refolding the note he placed it in his pocket. Stepping away from the wall, he looked back at his younger brother.

"You're wrong you know. I don't keep you around just because your good at gathering information, I could terrorize it our of any government lackey in Intel. I mostly keep you around because you're a better cook then I am."

Al grinned, "If you had to eat your own cooking you would have died years ago, or you'd be smaller then you already are."

Ed growled, "Are you calling me short?"

Al laughed and began walking toward the rest of the group, "I believe that that was the implication."

Ed jammed his hands into the pocket of his coat and grumbled after him about 'lack of family loyalty' and 'traitorous brothers.'

"Come now brother, how are we ever going to find your Colonel if you are sulking?"

Edward glared and Al smiled back.

"Fine." Ed caught up to his brother and shoved him with his shoulder before seeking the out the only female member of the group.

"Hey Hawkeye, you want to go dancing?"

Riza raised one eyebrow, "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh you know, the usual. A little mayhem, a little intimidation, possibly a little murder. A typical night on the town in Central."

Riza smiled, "Sounds like my kind of date. Let me just go home and get changed." She opened the door to her car and slid into the driver seat, "Where are we going?"

Ed wrenched the passenger side door open and climbed in, "Minos."

"Excellent. I always wondered what Hell was like."

Ed shrugged, "Don't ever say that I never take you anywhere fun."

* * *

**A/N:** Minos is the guardian of the second circle of Hell in Dante's infernal. He assigns souls to the different circles of hell based on their sins.

So, yeah, review if you want to. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows. Tasty, tasty marshmallows....


	4. Third Circle: Of Prey and Predators

Disclaimer: I don't own, so you can't sue.

**Chapter 4: The Third Circle —Of Prey and Predators**

"_Was mine in the unruffled life now banned._

_To call me Hog thy townsfolk e'er were fain;_

_Now for the cursed sin of gluttony_

_Behold me stricken in the snow and rain."_

~ Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

* * *

Second Lt. Hawkeye had the phone cradled between her head and shoulder blade. Her face was drawn in a serious frown as she held up a thin silver chain in front of her face. She began to dubiously maneuver the chain around her wrist as she answered the voice on the phone.

"No sir, you can't come with us. I need you and Al working gathering more intelligence Lt. Colonel…yes I know that he is your best friend…Yes we will get him back…please stop crying sir….Hughes, stop crying...yes sir…yes sir…no sir…I'll talk to you later sir."

Riza sighed as she hung up the phone, still frowning at the silver bracelet that she had been unable to attach to her wrist.

"Here, let me help you with that," Ed said as he walked out from the bathroom. Wordlessly, Riza held out her wrist to Ed as she scanned his attire.

"Aren't you a little under dressed? We are going to a pretty fancy club from what I hear, sir."

As he affixed the bracelet to her wrist, Edward smiled up at Riza. She was wearing a short iridescent blue strapless dress that gave the no nonsense lieutenant a somewhat more feminine look. Her hair had been taken out of the bun, and flowed down just past her shoulders, and by peering closer Edward could see that she had dusted her face lightly with makeup. She looked very nice, not that Ed was going to tell her that, and was showing much more skin then her had ever seen. It was probably a good thing that the rest of the boy were not coming with them, or someone would have been shot already. In essence, she was ready for a night on the town.

Edwars's attire, in contrast, was not worth commenting over. He was wearing his normal black pants and other then exchanging his black shit for a white one, nothing had changed.

"Since I'm still underage, and there is no way I look over 21, I won't be able to go into Minos with you, so I don't need to look as fancy."

Hawkeye blinked, did Edward just admit to not being able to do something based on his age and height?

"I'm confused sir. What is the point of investigating together if you aren't going to be able to get into the club?"

Ed chuckled and waved off her question, "Oh I'll be able to get into the club, just not through the front door."

Riza arched one of her eyebrows, "How?"

Ed shrugged, "It doesn't matter." Turning to look though a black duffel bag he had picked up from his house on his way over to Hawkeye's place, Ed continued speaking. "When you get into the club, head straight for the bar and sit in the bar stool to the far right, near the wall. It is the only seat that isn't in the direct line of sight of the two-way mirror behind the bartender or any of the surveillance cameras."

"How do you know all this?"

Edwards pulled out a black case from his bag and gave her a baleful look. One that reminded her once again that she wasn't a field agent anymore, not like Ed was, and maybe she should just follow orders.

Patiently Ed continued his explanation, "The joint is run by a vamp, of course Alchemist HQ has cased the place a few times, so we know a lot about it. Once you get settled, order something red in color. Juice, wine, whatever you want. It advertises to the vampires that you are interested."

"And an I interested?"

Ed gave a feral grin, "Very much. In particular you are trying to attract the attention of Plutus, the owner." Opening the case he extracted a pair of silver earrings. "Here put these on, since you aren't a normal field agent we have no way to track you. These have a tracking device embedded in them that Al can follow if we get separated."

Riza took the earrings and placed them in her ears as Ed went to collect her keys and purse.

"And Plutus is the one that we want to talk to?"

"Yes. He won't be too hard to spot. He'll most likely be wearing a loud suit that clashes horribly with his complexion. Tall, thin, with hooded eyes and a lecherous disposition." He paused holding up her purse, "Do you mind if I look through here? I don't want anything to give you away as part of Alchemist."

Hawkeye shrugged, "Go ahead, I already took my ID out, so I should only have my civilian identification."

"Good." Edward immediately began searching though it and took out her gun and cell phone, replacing them with a make-up bag and a new phone from his black bag. Stating only that, "Civilians don't carry guns, no matter how unsafe the city is, and you have too many numbers of high army officials in your phone, that could be a problem if you get captured. This phone is clean and untraceable, I am on speed-dial 4 and you can reach Al at HQ on 9."

"And what about the make-up?"

"It makes you look more girly. Plus, these are top of the line, HQ cosmetics. The perfume is a light paralysis, the foundation is a corrosive if you shake it and combine it with the powder, and the lipstick is a vampire toxin. You know, fun stuff like that."

"Right." Riza reached over, and reclaimed her bag as she walked out the front door. Ed stepped out after her, securely closing the door. As she locked up behind him, she asked the question that had been bugging her since they got to her house, "Why are you so calm about all of this? I thought you would be flying off the handle because the Colonel is missing."

Ed was already halfway to the car when he hear her question. He stopped to look over his shoulder to answer, his tone lightly mocking. "You think we should crash the club with guns blazing?"

"You do have the highest rate of collateral damage in the organization, sir. Blazing seems to be your MO." Hawkeye couldn't help but point out.

"That is only because I tend to go after a lot of high profile people who like fights and high speed chases. This is Dante, he's a bit more refined then that."

"How so?"

Edward shrugged, "These are vampires that have him. If they didn't kill him out right, then they will keep him alive for some time. They have a lot of time on their hands. Plus Roy is a big boy, he got himself into this mess, I trust that he won't fuck up too badly while we get him out."

~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ -

Plutus was content. He sat behind his antique hand crafted mahogany desk, French he thought, looking at a wall of uniformed screens showing various shots of the club. It was perfect hunting time, just after 1 o'clock in the morning, and Minos was packed with predatory and prey alike. Humans looking for a thrill mingled freely with the undead who sharp eyes sought out their pulse, like a moth drawn to a flame. Smiling with saccharine sweetness, the vampires blatantly advertised their wears, flashing their fangs.

Plutus let his eyes wander over the screen as he allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk. Business was good, better then it had been in a long time, especially since Dante was back in town. The vampires were getting anxious, in a good way, ready for the change that Dante and his children would bring to Amestris' underworld. And the humans, his simile turned vicious, the humans would never know what hit them.

In his peripheral vision, something blue flashed across one of the monitors. It was a human a female with shoulder length blond hair and sinfully long legs. Her gait, while gracefully for a mortal, was unseemly for one of the undead. He watched her as she crossed several screens before she dropped of the monitors entirely. He waited briefly to see is she would reappear, but he doubted it, she seemed to have settled at the bar.

His eyes glinted as he stood up. It was always polite for the owner to greet new patrons.

Especially if they were wearing his favorite color.

* * *

A/N: For those of you who are not up on your Greek God, Plutus is the God of wealth. Anyway review if you dare!


	5. Fourth Circle: Avarice is not a Vice

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 5: The Fourth Circle--Change**

_"Ah me! O Satan! Satan!" loud exclaim'd  
Plutus, in accent hoarse of wild alarm:  
And the kind sage, whom no event surprised,  
To comfprt me thus spake: "Let not thy fear  
Harm thee, for power in him be sure, is none  
To hinder down this rock thy safe decent."  
_~Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

* * *

There were many things that Lieutenant Hawkeye disliked intensely. Soldiers that didn't clean their guns sufficiently, Havoc smoking, doing the Colonel's paper work, and mini skirts all rated high on her scale of dislike. She wouldn't go so far as to say that she hated any of these activities; they were just apart of her normal life. But if presses, there was one thing that she absolutely hated. A hatred that had conveniently puttered away into nothingness when she had stopped being a field agent, but she recalled with full force now. And that was that she hated, absolutely hated, being bait. Especially, playing bait in a skimpy outfit.

And here she was, for the first time in years out in the field, without the security of a fully functioning team, playing bait. No disrespect to Edward, he was great in these sort of "against the odds" insane situations. There was no one else she would rather work with then the Elric brothers, except possibly Colonel Mustang and he wasn't an option right now. But she missed her team. Havoc, Fuery, Breda…here gun. She really missed her gun. The little blue dress, while necessary for this assignment, left nothing to the imagination and a gun would have been easy to spot. But still.

Riza sighed as she stared up at the sign of the nightclub. The second hand on her watch gently marked the passage of time. The night was ticking away, and there were running out of time and this was their only lead. She had to walk in.

There was no cover charge for the club. Presumably, if you were human, that would be paid in blood later on. She suppressed a grimace; she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Getting bitten was an…unsettling experience. Almost like a slimy haze oozing over your logical thoughts, covering them in drug induced euphoria and sexual drive. It was the reason that so many humans flocked to clubs like this, to feel their problems melt way, if only for the night. Clubs like this provided an escape from the trials of the real world, and some didn't mind paying for their peace in blood.

Riza didn't need an escape; she was content with her life. Besides, she needed to be in full possession her wits to help Roy now.

"May I take your coat madam?" The bouncer asked as he held his hand out expectantly, waiting for her to place her coat within his grasp.

"Of course."

As Riza unbuttoned her coat she glanced at the bouncer. Realizing that he didn't seem to care about her rudeness, she gazed at him intently and she handed over her coat. Particularity, at the faint trimmers that shook his hand and the blankness of his stare. He was human, that was easy enough to tell, but something was... off about him, and it was unsettling.

Promising herself that she would ask someone at HQ about it later, she gave him a brief smile as she handed him her coat. She wasn't surprised when the bouncer didn't acknowledge her back.

"Thank you, madam. Please enjoy your time with us."

Her smile grew brittle. "I'm sure the evening will be eventful," she acknowledged as she proceeded into the club.

Walking across the room, she could the hefty weight of vamperic stares on her skin. Their eyes raking over her body, evaluating her and finding he good enough to eat. It was almost a relief to sit down at the empty bar. As she waited for the bartender to notice her, she briefly she wondered where Edward had wandered off to. He had jumped out of the car two blocks before she got to the club with a carefree flick of his hand and the assurance that he would meet her inside. He had then disappeared down the street, walking away from the club.

But she couldn't worry about him now, the bartender was ambling towards her. He was a scrawny man with eyes too big for his face and clothing hanging loosely from his body. Interestingly, he displayed the same detachment as the bouncer.

"May I provide you with a drink?"

"Yes. I'll have a cranberry juice over ice."

While she waited for her drink to arrive, she covertly scanned the club, taking in the decor. Even though the lights were dimmed, Riza could easily see that the place was tastefully decorated. Mahogany wood brought out the reds, greens and blues of the fabric in the chairs and couches. The paintings on the wall showed calming landscapes and portraits of men and women trimmed in gold frames added to the feeling of subtle wealth that the room exuded. Unsurprising, there weren't any mirrors in the place. In fact, the only one was situated behind the bar, placed a bit above her head so she couldn't see in to it.

Her brief perusal of the club did not show anyone who could possibly be Plutus. All the vampires she had noticed were in dark, somber suites, tucked away in the corners, sitting on plush couches, intimately occupied with some human or another.

"Your drink."

She reluctantly pulled her gaze back to the bar tender as he handed her her drink. He was even kind enough to place a tiny pink and yellow umbrella in it. Thanking the bartender, she began to reach into her purse for money. Later she would admit that she was startled when a cool hand was gently placed upon hers, though more from the difference in temperature then anything else.

As she berated herself for not realizing that the vampire was approaching, she felt the vamp shift forward, pressing his body against her back. Gazing at the brilliant yellow sleeve that accompanied the hand, Riza knew that she had found Plutus, and begrudgingly allowed the contact to continue.

"No need to pay. Drinks are the house for beautiful morals like yourself," Plutus deep voice rumbled behind her, sending his words vibrating through her chest.

As the bartender wandered off to occupy himself at some other portion of the bar, the vampire slipped deftly into the seat next to her, giving her a charming smile.

* * *

The mortal was amusing.

Plutus knew that she was startled by his presence. When he touched her hand, he heard her heart accelerate and her breathing increase. Her eyes were wide as she gazed at him and her lips slightly parted in surprise and wonder, presenting a very alluring visage. She either had never been bitten, or she had not been bitten in the last year or so. There was no lingering hint of a vampire's scent on her skin. Just as the warm coppery smell of her blood was untainted by vampire toxins.

While he knew that he charming smile that he had pasted on his face didn't quite reach his eyes, and would be immediately transparent to any supernatural. He was confident that the mortal would not pick it up. They never did.

Yes, Plutus was pleased at the ease of this catch. She would make an excellent meal. And if her body was as good as that blue dress suggested, he might even dally with her longer then the night.

"This must be your first time here. I would have cause to remember such a beautiful woman."

The mortal shifted slightly in her seat, toying with her glass. The pungent smell of cranberry juice wafted up to his nose mixing headily with her natural scent. Her quite mummer drew his attention back to her mouth.

"No. I've never been here before. This is my first time in a place like this."

Plutus smiled. Perfect. This mortal didn't even know what to expect when it came to establishments like Minos. She would be easily persuaded into some of his more...deviant hobbies.

"We'll then, let me be the first to welcome you to Minos. I am Plutus, owner of this establishment."

The human smiled, a bit self-consciously in his opinion, but sincere enough. "Thank you."

"Since you are new here, would you care fore a tour of the club?"

The mortal immediately protested, hands flailing haplessly, "I'm sure that you have much more important things to do then take me around the club. Please don't let me get in your way."

Plutus leaned in to secure on of her listlessly flopping hands. Curving his neck to brush his lips against her warm skin, he felt almost overwhelmed by a desire to bite the naive mortal before him. Leering he slowly released her fingers, making sure to caress the inside of her palm before entirely letting go.

"Nonsense. It is my responsibility to see to the..." here he looked up and down the mortal's body, "the comforts of all my patrons. He watched, delighted, as the blood rushed to her cheeks, congratulating himself on the achievement.

"I would like that." As she stood, he confidently slipped his arm around her wait, drawing her close.

"And may I know the name of my lovely companion?" he asked, guiding her through the club.

"Riza...It's Riza."

"Riza. What a lovely name."

* * *

In Hawkeye's professional opinion. The vamp was an arrogant asshole who thought that he was God's gift to woman kind. And considering that she had worked for Roy during his "Pre-Edward" days, she knew a great deal about chauvinistic men. When he had touched her hand, she had to consciously stifle her initial reaction of reaching for her gun, which unfortunately she was not wearing. And she had to constantly resist the temptation to shove the umbrella, in all of its pink and yellow glory, into his chilled hand. His condescending tone greeted on her nerves, and his suit hurt her eyes. That particular shade of yellow should not be paired with that putrid shade of purple. Actually, nothing should be paired with that shade of yellow, especially if you skin is as sallow as a vampire's.

Her opinion of women in general plummeted as soon as he opened his had to be some women out there that would respond favorably to these advances, otherwise Plutus would not continue to uses these tactics. But Riza was not among them.

She let the vampire steered her through the club. He gently, but instantly, steered her towards the back of the club where she presumed his office was situated. A presumption that was confirmed as Plutus opened a door that had his name elegantly engraved on a golden plaque. With a smile that matched Plutus in it's fakeness, she followed him into the room. Deftly hiding her apprehension as the door closed firmly behind her.

"Now." Plutus' voice filtered through the murky room. "Let's have some fun."

* * *

Crouched in an alleyway, a boy looked down at his cell phone, watching the little red dot symbolizing Riza meander it's way through the club. Consulting the blueprint that Minos had supplied the city when it first opened, he knew that she had ended up in the manager's office. He closed the phone and placed it in his pocket with a pleased smile. The Lieutenant had done her part well. The vampire was interested, and now it was his time to go to work.

Tugging he shirt into place he stood up and knocked firmly on a nearby door and waited impatiently for it to open. As the light from inside illuminated his upturned face, he schooled his features into a visage of need and desperation. Stuttering, he clawed hysterically at the pant leg of the man who answered the door.

"P-p-please s-sir... p-please, let me, let me i-in....p-p-please."

The man laughed deeply, sending his hand flying towards the boy for the fun of it, smiling when the boy hit the ground with a soft thunk.

Stooping down to address the cowering figure, "Back so soon, eh? Couldn't get enough, huh?" The man laughed again showing his yellow teeth as he pushed his face closer towards the boy. "But it just happens to be you lucky night. We need someone with you particular talents. He's entertaining, and he would probably require some servicing."

"P-please. Cerberus....p-please."

As the man stood up, he aimed his foot and the waif's unprotected back.

"Well, get up." He growled, "And get dressed, or you will get nothing."

As the boy picked himself off the ground as scurried inside, on the other side of Central a man was screaming.

* * *

A/N: So maybe I've been gone longer then I intended. Sorry about that. But those last few reviews spured one on to right again. Thanks!


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